Brave (2012 film)

Some say our destiny is tied to the land, as much a part of us as we are of it. Others say fate is woven together like a cloth, so that one's destiny intertwines with many others. It's the one thing we search for, or fight to change. Some never find it. But there are some who are led.

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[narrating] Some say our destiny is tied to the land, as much a part of us as we are of it. Others say fate is woven together like a cloth, so that one's destiny intertwines with many others. It's the one thing we search for, or fight to change. Some never find it. But there are some who are led.

[narrating] I became a sister to three new brothers. The princes. Hamish, Hubert, and Harris. Wee devils, more like. They get away with murder! I can never get away with anything!

[narrating] But every once in a while, there's a day when I don't have to be a princess. No lessons, no expectations. A day where anything can happen. A day I can change my fate.

[after Queen Elinor unexpectedly turns into a bear]Mum? You're... You're a BEAR! Why a bear?OH! That scaffy witch gave me a gammy spell! [Bear Elinor stares at her, demanding to know what she meant] It's not my fault. I didn't ask her to change you into a bear! I just wanted her to change... you. [A shocked and outraged Bear Elinor roars at Merida]

[looks at the black berries; to Bear Elinor] Find those by the creek, did you? [Bear Elinor nods and keeps eating the berries] They're nightshade berries. [Bear Elinor eats another one] They're poisonous. [Bear Elinor spits out the berries and tries to chug down some water] Where did you get this water? It has worms! [Bear Elinor spits out the water]

[to the men in the throne room] Legends are lessons. They ring with truths. Our kingdom is young; our stories are not yet legends, but in them, our bond was struck. Our clans were once enemies. But when we were threatened from the north, you joined together to defend our lands. You fought for each other. You risked everything for each other.

[after realizing Bear Elinor isn't changing back into a human] No... No... I don't understand. [crying] Oh, Mum... I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I did this to you... to us.[hugs Bear Elinor] You've always been there for me. You've never given up on me. I just want you back. I want you back, Mummy. [murmurs] I love you.

[closing narration] There are those who say fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own, but I know better. Our fate lives within us. You only have to be brave enough to see it.

There are those who say fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own, but I know better. Our fate lives within us, you only have to be brave enough to see it.

[First lines; Queen Elinor and young Merida are playing hide-and-seek]

Queen Elinor: Where are you? Come out! Come out! Come on out! I'm coming to get you! [Young Merida laughs as she hides under the table] Where are you, you little rascal? I'm coming to get you! [looks under the table but Merida quickly moves to hide somewhere else] Hmm. Where is my little birthday girl, hm? I'm going to gobble her up when I find her! [Merida comes up behind Elinor and goes to run away but Elinor catches her] I'm going to eat you! [as she and Merida play, Fergus places his bow on the table] Ach! Fergus, no weapons on the table!

Young Merida: Can I shoot an arrow? [picks up the large bow from the table] Can I, can I, can I, can I? Please, can I? [falls and laughs as the bow is too big for her]

King Fergus: Not with that. Why not use your very own? [presents her with a small bow] Happy birthday, my wee darlin'!

Merida: Mor'du has never been seen since. And is roaming the wilds, waiting his chance at revenge. [roars]

Elinor: Merida, a princess does not place her weapons on the table.

Merida: [moans] Mum, it's just my bow!

Elinor: A princess should not have weapons in my opinion.

Fergus: Leave her be! Princess or not, learning to fight is essential.

Merida: [removes her bow from the table] Mum, you'll never guess what I did today!

Elinor: [not really listening] Mmm-hmm?

Merida: I climbed up the Crone's Tooth and drank from the Fire Falls.

[Hamish, Hubert and Harris look at her in awe]

Fergus: The Fire Falls, eh? They say only the ancient kings were brave enough to drink the fire.

[Merida wrinkles her nose at Fergus and giggles]

Elinor: [looks up from the documents she's reading; to Merida] What did you do, dear?

Merida: [disappointed] Nothing, Mum.

Fergus: Pretend I'm Merida, speak to me. What would you say?

Elinor: I can't do this!

Fergus: Sure, you can! [Elinor gives him a skeptical look] There, there! That's my queen! All right, here we go. [takes a deep breath and speaks in a shrilly voice, impersonating Merida] "I don't want to get married! I want to stay single and let my hair flow in the wind as I ride through the glen, firing arrows into the sunset!" [smiles and nods. Elinor smiles and takes a deep breath.]

Elinor: Merida, all this work, all the time spent preparing you, schooling you, giving you everything we never had. I ask you, what do you expect us to do?

Merida: [in the royal stables; taking care of Angus and rehearsing her own speech] Call off the gathering! Would that kill them? You're the queen. You can just tell the lords, "The princess is not ready for this. In fact, she might not ever be ready for this, so that's that. Good day to you. We'll expect your declarations of war in the morning."

Elinor: I understand this must all seem unfair. Even I had reservations when I faced betrothal. [Fergus looks up in surprise] But we can't just run away from who we are.

Merida: I don't want my life to be over. I want my freedom!

Elinor: But are you willing to pay the price your freedom will cost?

Merida: I'm not doing any of this to hurt you.

Elinor: If you could just try to see what I do, I do out of love.

Merida: But it's my life, it's... I'm just not ready.

Elinor: I think you'd see if you could just...

Merida: I think I could make you understand if you would just...

Elinor: Listen.

Merida: Listen. [Angus whinnies at her] I swear, Angus, this isn't going to happen. [Angus touches her sympathetically and she pets him] Not if I have any say in it.

Young MacGuffin: [in a thick accent] If he was a wee bit closer, I could lob a caber at him, ye ken?

Lord Macintosh: [confused at first, then regains composure] And we don't hide under bridges, you grumpy old troll!

[The Macintoshes, Macguffins and Fergus chortle]

Dingwall: You wanna laugh, eh? [to his son]WEE DINGWALL!

[Wee Dingwall attacks Lord Macintosh, starting a brawl]

Merida: [after Young MacGuffin shoots and misses] I bet he wishes he was tossing cabers.

Fergus: Or holding up bridges...

[Elinor nudges Fergus scoldingly while he and Merida snicker]

[Young Macintosh smashes his bow on the ground after barely missing the bullseye]

Merida: [sarcastically] Oh, that's attractive.

[Young Macintosh throws his bow over the crowd]

Random Clan Member: I got it!

Merida: [to King Fergus] Good arm!

Fergus: [brushes back his hair] And such lovely, flowing locks.

Elinor: [annoyed] Fergus!

Fergus: What?

[Merida discovers that the woodcarver is a witch]

Merida: [excitedly] You're a WITCH!

The Witch: [still trying to hide her identity] Woodcarver.

Merida: That's why the wisps led me here!

Witch: [getting angry] Woodcarver!

Merida: [more excited] You'll change my fate!

Witch: [more angry]WOODCARVER!!

Merida: You see... It's my mother–

Witch: [snaps] I'M NOT A WITCH! TOO MANY UNSATISFIED CUSTOMERS! [Merida stares at her in fright] [calms down] If you're not going to buy anything… get out! [snaps fingers and knives point at Merida]

[The witch picks up the cake from the boiling cauldron]

Merida: A cake?

Witch: Do you not want it?

Merida: Yes, I want it! Are you sure... if I give this to my Mum, it will change my fate?

Witch: Trust me, deary. It will do the trick.

[Queen Elinor feels sick after eating a cursed cake.]

Merida: Just take all the time you need to get yourself right, mom. And maybe in a bit you might have something new to say on the marriage?

Elinor: [groaning] What was in that cake?

Merida: Cake!?

[suddenly Elinor rolls of the bed in pain]

Merida: Mum? So, I… I’ll just tell them the wedding’s off then. [hears a growling noise from where Elinor rolled of down the bed] Mum? [walks round to see if Elinor is fine, she sees a giant shape under the blanket. It rises from the floor and the blanket falls off, revealing Elinor has transformed into a bear making Merida scream with terror] BEAR!!!

Merida was created specifically to break that mold. She was created to turn the regular Disney princess on its head. To show that Merida is closer to a real princess than those princesses. Princesses were working girls and so were their mothers and so I gave her a modern twist.

I wanted to create a stronger character, one that feels and looks attainable, that’s not waiting for the prince or the man to come along or needs romance to make them complete. I also left it open so that romance wasn’t completely cut out of the picture when she’s ready and of her own choosing as opposed to her being forced into something that she didn't choose. I wanted to give her that strength.